Although the idea behind the Alien Act was to protect the nation from subversive immigrants, what added benefit might it have held for Federalists?

Question

Answer choices:

a)Federalists instituted large immigration fees that were used to enrich big business.

b)Federalists could gain members of their political party from the immigrants.

c)Their opposition was made up of immigrants and curtailing them would give the Federal Party greater numbers.

d)Democratic-Republicans would have to pay for the deportation of immigrants.

Answer 1

C is the correct answer. A common critique of the Alien and Sedition Acts was that it represented an act of voter suppression. Critics of the act drew this conclusion from both the content of the statute and the Federalists' political positions. Before the passage of the Alien Act, new immigrants could vote in five years. Under the Alien Act, new immigrants could vote after fourteen years. Many Federalists believed immigrants impeded American national security, especially French immigrants. Agreeing with the sentiments of the time, one Federalist argued, "hordes of Wild Irishmen, nor the turbulent and disorderly of all the world, to come here with a basic view to distract our tranquillity." While many immigrant voters strayed away from the Federalist Party's anti-democracy, anti- widespread suffrage, anti-open election message, the Democratic-Republicans had core support from non-English ethnics groups. If Democratic-Republicans have more voters from their expected base, then they would be more likely to win elections. Therefore, even though many Federalists publicly justified the Alien and Sedition Acts under national security concerns, many critiques also claimed the Federalists would benefit from fewer immigrant voters expanding the Democratic-Republicans voter base.